DHS's Bogus Border Fence Claims

From the Desk of:
Steve Elliott, President, Grassfire.org Alliance

3/27/2008


Our research staff just uncovered another reason why your petition
is so vital. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is once
again inflating its numbers of the amount of border fence that
has been built. They claim over 300 miles. Reality check:
less than 10 miles of double-layer fencing has been built
since the Secure Fence Act was passed 18 months ago.

It's basically another border fence hoax. See our full report here
of how DHS inflates its numbers to claim over 300 miles of fencing:

http://www.grassfire.net/r.asp?U=5626&RID=15679155

And progress has slowed to a crawl. Since last September, DHS
has only built 6 miles of pedestrian fence and 35 miles of vehicle
barriers. And their "virtual" fence test was a total failure.

So with the "sunset" clause set to go into effect in just nine
months, it is clear that DHS is doing nothing more than playing
games and juggling numbers. Even worse, DHS is counting so-called
"vehicle barriers" for half of its claimed progress. Just one
problem -- illegal aliens can walk right through the vehicle barriers!

The clock is ticking and you and I must do all we can to restore
the Secure Fence Act.

++ Please forward this message to your friends

We still are far short of our goal to rally 250,000 signers of
our "Restore The Fence Act" petition before next month's delivery
on Capitol Hill.

We need your help.

         Please forward this message to your friends
         and ask them to sign the petition to restore the
         Secure Fence Act:

http://www.grassfire.net/r.asp?u=5630&PID=15679155

Again, please read our special report on the games DHS is playing
with the border fence, and with our nation's security! Go here:

http://www.grassfire.net/r.asp?U=5627&RID=15679155

And thanks in advance for taking action with us to spread the word


Steve Elliott, President
Grassfire.org

Earmark Moratorium Fails

This from http://grassfire.org/

Last night, at 10:25 p.m., the Senate voted to establish an
earmark moratorium for fiscal years 2009. By a margin of 71-29,
the vote failed.

Following the vote, 71 Senators--mostly pork-loving
democrats along with 26 Republicans took the fast train out of
town to begin their Easter Recess.

Here are the Senate Republicans--along with their shocking
"Pork totals" for the year and their phone numbers:

Bennett (R-UT)   $296.1 million        202/224-5444
        Bond (R-MO)  $529.9 million        202/224-5721
        Brownback (R-KS) $365.6 million        202/224-6521
        Bunning (R-KY)  $23.7 million         202/224-4343
        Cochran (R-MS)  $977.7 million        202/224-5054
        Coleman (R-MN)  $231.9 million        202/224-5641
        Collins (R-ME)  $137.8 million        202/224-2523
        Craig (R-ID)  $150.2 million        202/224-2752
        Crapo (R-ID)  $150.5 million        202/224-6142
        Domenici (R-NM) $600.0 million        202/224-6621
        Gregg (R-NH)  $93.9 million         202/224-3324
        Hagel (R-NE)  $102.0 million        202/224-4224
        Hatch (R-UT)  $241.7 million        202/224-5251
        Hutchison (R-TX) $839.2 million        202/224-5922
        Lugar (R-IN)  $146.4 million        202/224-4814
        Murkowski (R-AK) $63.8 million         202/224-6665
        Roberts (R-KS)  $333.0 million        202/224-4774
        Shelby (R-AL)  $635.1 million        202/224-5744
        Smith (R-OR)  $273.0 million        202/224-3753
        Snowe (R-ME)  $126.5 million        202/224-5344
        Specter (R-PA)  $404.4 million        202/224-4254
        Stevens (R-AK)  $524.5 million        202/224-3004
        Vitter (R-LA)  $386.8 million        202/224-4623
        Voinovich (R-OH) $170.6 million        202/224-3353
        Warner (R-VA)  $702.2 million        202/224-2023
        Wicker (R-MS)  (totals unavailable)  202/224-6253

NOTE: Statistics provided by http://www.taxpayer.net

Following the vote, Sen. DeMint remarked, "Tonight, too many in
Congress
embraced the earmark favor factory and proved why we have the lowest
approval rating in history...

Sen. McCain, who canceled appearances to make certain he was present
for the vote added, "We're disappointed that only 29 members of the
U.S. Senate understand that the American people want us to stop this
practice,
which has led to corruption."

++Pork Barrel Battle is not over

McCain is right, Americans do want this corrupt
process stopped, and Grassfire will continue to lead the grassroots
charge
to bring about change.

This was a setback, but beginning Monday, I promise you, we will have
formulated a plan of action that will target those 26 Republicans and
71 Democrats who blatantly turned a deaf ear to the American people. We
will be heard!

Thank you for your excellent help. I hope I can count on your continued
efforts as we work together to end congressional earmarking.

Steve

P.S: Forward this message to your friends and encourage them to take
action with you by clicking below, and signing our petition:

http://www.grassfire.org/96/petition.asp?PID=15602910

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(Note: Please do not "reply" directly to this e-mail message. This
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To contact Grassfire.org with comments, questions or to change
your status, see link at the end.)
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+ + Feedback or comments on this update?

Go to FireSociety.com and post your comments so that the Grassfire
staff along with thousands of citizens can benefit from your t
houghts and opinions:

http://www.firesociety.com/comments/22409/?src=111

+ + Technical questions only:

For technical questions regarding this email, go here:
(Not for comments/feedback on this update)

http://www.grassfire.org/techemail.asp?ind=15

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Grassfire.org Alliance is a non-profit 501(c)4 issues advocacy
organization dedicated to equipping our 1.5 million-strong network
of grassroots conservatives with the tools that give you a real
impact on the key issues of our day. Gifts to Grassfire.org are
not tax deductible.

President and DHS oppose the border fence

The following is from grassfire.org

"The 'virtual fence' is virtually useless," says Rep. Duncan Hunter
(R-CA).

The recent failure of the highly touted "virtual fence" (that DHS
spent more than $20 million developing) is a slap in the face to
every citizen who has been demanding control of the borders.

But DHS isn't committed to securing the borders. If they were,
they would have followed the mandates of the Secure Fence Act,
and duplicated the barrier built in San Diego.

That 14-mile fence has been extremely effective in lowering illegal
crossings and drug traffic. In fact, apprehensions have decreased
due to fewer crossings. In simple language, the double-layered
fence works.

Hunter is so incensed by the current state of border fencing--
single-layer, and virtual fencing that he’s introduced legislation
demanding that it "restores the most important elements of the
Secure Fence Act," notably 700 miles of double-layered fencing
to be constructed within six months of the bill's enactment.

H.R. 5124 is strongly supported by Grassfire, and should be
strongly supported by every citizen in the nation who is serious
about border security.

I'm thrilled that you have already added your name
to our "Build the Fence As Promised" petition. After just one
week, more than 85,000 citizens have added their name!

I'm asking all members of our team who have already taken action
with us, to do two important things:


++ Action Item #1--Contact your Congressman

After signing, please take a moment to contact your Kentucky
Representative, encouraging he/she to support the Hunter bill H.R. 5124
"Reinstate the Secure Fence Act". When calling, be sure to identify
yourself as a member of Grassfire.org.

To date, the following 16 members of Congress have added their names as
co-sponsors:

Bilbray (CA-50)           Waite-Brown (FL-5)
Coble (NC-6)              Drier (CA-26)
Franks (AZ-2)             Gingery (GA-11)
Goode (VA-5)              Graves (MO-6
Johnson (TX-3)            Marchant (TX-24)
Myrick (NC-9)             Poe (TX-2)
Rohrabacher (CA-46)       Royce (CA-40)
Saxton (NJ-5)             Sullivan (OK-1)

If your Congressman isn't on this list, please call right now,
and urge them to do so. To be quickly connected call the
Capitol Switchboard: 202-226-3121.

If your Congressman is on the above list, call them anyway and thank
them for taking a REAL stand to secure our borders!

++Action Item #2--Alert your friends

Michael in just a few short weeks, Ron De Jong and I will be on
Capitol Hill presenting your petitions to leading members of Congress
who are serious about border security, and I want to overwhelm
them with our petition. You can help us do that by forwarding
this message to 20-30 friends today!

Urge them to add their name to this important
petition calling for the fence to be built as promised
simply by clicking here:

http://www.grassfire.org/242/petition.asp?PID=15679155

The lack of commitment from the President and DHS will result in either
substandard fencing, or no fencing at all. That's why we are urging ALL
members of our team to sign our petition and take to the phones!

A true solution will only come about if the grassroots voice of
America speaks out!

Thank you for you quick response.

Steve

P.S: After signing our petition and making your call, please forward
this message to 20-30 friends and family. Encourage them to sign our
petition by clicking here:

http://www.grassfire.org/242/petition.asp?PID=15679155

++Help Grassfire Secure the Border:

http://www.grassfire.org/1242/offer.asp?rid=15679155